Occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP relies on single power line for 7 weeks – IAEA
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, occupied by Russia for over seven weeks, remains connected to only one external power line necessary for cooling its six reactors and spent nuclear fuel.
This was reported by the IAEA press service, cited by Censor.NET.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi noted that the extremely vulnerable power supply and issues with access to cooling water following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam make the nuclear safety situation "highly unstable."
"There are many critical issues that need to be resolved before it will be possible to restore the plant’s operation," he said.
The IAEA reminded that currently, the Zaporizhzhia NPP relies on only one 750 kV power line, as the 330 kV line was damaged on May 7 due to hostilities.
Before the full-scale war, the plant had access to ten external power lines. All six reactors of the nuclear power plant have been in a "cold shutdown" state since 2024 but still require cooling.
"Almost daily over the past week, the IAEA team based at the plant continued to hear explosions at various distances from the site, constantly reminding them of the immediate proximity to the front line of the conflict," the organization added.
